Farm operations
1,133
Avg 275 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census IA · FIPS 19121 1,133 farms Bottom quartile (#76/99) 69% cropland HEAVY CROP-LED
Madison County, Iowa - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Madison County. Ranked #76 of 99 counties in Iowa.
312K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 69.1% 215K acres
- Other land
- 30.9% 96K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Madison County received $15.35 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.6× the Iowa county median of $25.16.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $15.35
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $25.16
- Iowa county median per acre
- 0.61×
- Iowa median per acre
Payments per acre use the same NASS county table for receipts and acreage. Census county totals are not a roll-up of the USDA ERS state payment series.
1,133 farms · $235.5M sales
Madison County, Iowa reports 1,133 farms and $235.5M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #641 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #76 of 99 counties in Iowa; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #76 of 99
- National payments rank #641 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 2.0%
Commodity sales
$235.5M
0.59× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$4.8M
2.0% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$55.3M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Madison County's net farm income sits at the 71th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Madison County Farm Data Shows
Madison County, Iowa reported 1,133 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $235.5M in total commodity sales and receiving $4.8M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($15.35/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $55.3M. In-state sales rank #76 of 99 in Iowa.
Of 311,851 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 215,369 acres (69.1%) - a CROP-LED profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is HEAVY; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Iowa.
Land Use
$15.35 per acre of agricultural land · the median Iowa county receives $25.16. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
311,851 acres
Cropland
215,369 acres
Avg Farm Size
275 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 69.1%
215,369 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 311,851 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 215,369 | 69.1% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 96,482 | 30.9% |
| Average farm size | 275 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Madison County, Iowa?
Madison County, Iowa has 1,133 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 275 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Madison County?
Madison County's total commodity sales are $235.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #76 among 99 counties in Iowa.
How much federal farm assistance does Madison County receive?
Madison County received $4.8M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($15.35/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Madison County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Madison County is $55.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Madison County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Madison (HEAVY · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-LED
Gray County, TX · MID
$4.8M federal receipts is higher by $15K than Madison; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Madison County, MT · LIGHT
$4.8M federal receipts is lower by $18K than Madison; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-LED.
Childress County, TX · MID
$4.8M federal receipts is lower by $30K than Madison; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Aroostook County, ME · HEAVY
$4.8M federal receipts is higher by $33K than Madison; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Woodford County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Woodford sits near Madison on payments-per-acre ($15.33) while total receipts differ.
Riverside County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Riverside sits near Madison on payments-per-acre ($15.21) while total receipts differ.
Iowa ERS state roll-up
Madison stamps HEAVY · CROP-LED inside Iowa's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#641)
Madison ranks #641 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the HEAVY intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Madison County, Iowa stamps HEAVY · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #641 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Iowa compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Iowa state page
- Browse the full county table to compare payment intensity across the country. All counties
- Understand what actually drives county-level farm payments. Read the guide
County figures (2022 NASS Census of Agriculture) are a separate population from USDA ERS state and national payment series and must not be summed together.
County farm figures on this page are rendered from the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture, no number is typed in by an editor. Census county totals are not a roll-up of the USDA ERS state payment series. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.